Infant Bassinet Assembly

ABSTRACT

An infant bassinet assembly is adapted to be coupled to a play yard, and includes a loop-shaped tube unit and a bed surrounding unit. The tube unit is adapted to be coupled detachably to a top end of the play yard. The bed surrounding unit includes a bottom member and a supporting unit. The supporting unit has a bottom end portion connected to the bottom member and cooperating with the bottom member to define an inner space, and a top end portion connected to the tube unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/401,310, filed on Aug. 11, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an infant bassinet assembly, more particularly to an infant bassinet assembly that is easy to assemble on and be disassembled from a play yard.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional infant bassinet has bassinet attachments for connection to a play yard. The bassinet attachments generally have soft goods affixing to play yard rails of the play yard or play yard soft goods via clips, zippers, buckles or the like. These add-on bassinets may be difficult to assemble to the play yard as they may require multiple steps. Some add-ons may even be misplaced, thereby creating a potentially hazardous scenario. Some conventional bassinets also do not provide a robust attachment, such that a sleep surface thereof could be uneven to thereby cause a real or perceived hazard to the occupant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an infant bassinet assembly that is easy to assemble on and be disassembled from a play yard, and that has a robust structure.

Accordingly, an infant bassinet assembly of the present invention is adapted to be coupled to a play yard. The infant bassinet assembly comprises a loop-shaped tube unit adapted to be coupled detachably to a top end of the play yard, and a bed surrounding unit. The bed surrounding unit includes a bottom member, and a supporting unit that has a bottom end portion connected to the bottom member and cooperating with the bottom member to define an inner space, and a top end portion connected to the tube unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the fol lowing detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a play yard mounted with a preferred embodiment of an infant bassinet assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a tube unit of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating a clip before being coupled to a corner coupler of the play yard;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating the clip after being coupled to the corner coupler of the play yard;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the play yard mounted with the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bottom member of the preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating an end U-tube being disengaged from a side tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the preferred embodiment of an infant bassinet assembly 1 according to the present invention is adapted to be coupled to a play yard 3. The play yard 3 has a frame unit that includes four upright rods 31, four corner couplers 32 provided respectively on top ends of the upright rods 31, and four side rods 33, each interconnecting an adjacent pair of the corner couplers 32. Each of the corner couplers 32 is formed with an engaging groove 321 (see FIG. 3). The infant bassinet assembly 1 is adapted to be disposed below the side rods 33 of the play yard 1, and includes a tube unit 10 and a bed surrounding unit 20.

The tube unit 10 includes a pair of end U-tubes 11 and a pair of side tubes 12. The end U-tubes 11 are spaced apart from each other in a first horizontal direction (H1). Each of the end U-tubes 11 has a main segment 111 that extends in a second horizontal direction (H2), a pair of curved corner segments 112 that are connected respectively to opposite ends of the main segment 111, and first and second end segments 113, 114 that are connected respectively to opposite ends of the corner segments 112. The first and second end segments 113, 119 of one of the end U-tubes 11 are aligned respectively with the first and second end segments 113, 114 of the other one of the end U-tubes 11 in the first horizontal direction (H1). The side tubes 12 extend in the first horizontal direction (H1). One of the side tubes 12 has opposite ends that are connected respectively and detachably to the first end segments 113 of the end U-tubes 11, and the other one of the side tubes 12 has opposite ends that are connected respectively and detachably to the second end segments 114 of the end U-tubes 11. The opposite ends of the side tubes 12 are configured as swaged ends so that the side tubes 12 can be easily and firmly assembled to the end U-tubes 11.

In this embodiment, with reference to FIG. 7, the bed surrounding unit 20 includes a bottom member 24, a supporting unit 23, a plurality of reticular members 26 and a plurality of connecting units 21 (only one is shown in FIG. 4).

In this embodiment, the supporting unit 23 includes a plurality of fabric side members 231. Each of the side members 231 extends integrally from a periphery of the bottom member 24, and has a looped end portion 232 opposite to the bottom member 24 and sleeved on a respective one of the end U-tubes 11 and the side tubes 12. The supporting unit 23 further includes a plurality of fabric securing members 2311, each of which is sewn on lateral ends of the side members 231 and has a distal end portion that can be folded to form a looped end sleeved on a corresponding one of the end U-tubes 11 and the side tubes 12, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the lateral ends of the side members. The supporting unit 23 further includes a plurality of fastening mechanisms 2312. In this embodiment, each fastening mechanism is configured as a snap button mechanism provided on the distal end portion of a corresponding one of the securing members 2311 and the corresponding one of the side members 231 for securing detachably the distal end portion of a corresponding one of the securing members 2311 to the corresponding one of the side members 231. Each of the reticular members 26 extends from the bottom member 24 and interconnects an adjacent pair of the side members 231 for increasing the ventilation of the infant bassinet assembly 1. In addition, a care giver and an infant in the infant bassinet assembly 1 can see each other through the reticular members 26 and have a relatively high sense of security. The supporting unit 23 cooperates with the bottom member 24 and the reticular member 26 to define an inner space 27 in which an infant can stay safely therein.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, in this embodiment, each of the connecting units 21 includes a fabric member 211 having an end that is sewn to the periphery of the bottom member 24, and a rigid plastic clip 22 secured to a distal end of the fabric member 211 and having a hooked end portion 221 for engaging detachably the engaging groove 321 of a respective one of the corner couplers 32 of the play yard 3. The bed surrounding unit 20 further includes a pair of metal support tubes 25 secured at a bottom surface of the bottom member 24 for imparting a relatively high structural strength to the infant bassinet assembly 1 of the present invention.

As such, the infant bassinet assembly 1 can be easily assembled on and disassembled from the play yard 3 through the engagement and disengagement between the connecting units 21 of the bed surrounding unit 20 and the corner couplers 32 of the play yard 3. In addition, by virtue of the configuration of the tube unit 10, the bed surrounding unit 20 can be easily coupled to and removed from the tube unit 10. Moreover, the be surrounding unit 20 can be coupled firmly to the tube unit 10 by virtue of the looped end portions 232 of the side members 231 and the securing members 2311. Furthermore, since the connecting units 21 and the supporting unit 23 are connected securely to the bottom member 24, a potential danger due to missing parts can be avoided.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An infant bassinet assembly adapted to be coupled to a play yard and comprising: a loop-shaped tube unit adapted to be coupled detachably to a top end of the play yard; and a bed surrounding unit including a bottom member, and a supporting unit that has a bottom end portion connected to said bottom member and cooperating with said bottom member to define an inner space, and a top end portion connected to said tube unit.
 2. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube unit includes a plurality of tubes forming cooperatively the loop-shaped configuration of said tube unit.
 3. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting unit of said bed surrounding unit includes at least one side member extending from a periphery of said bottom member and having a looped end portion that is sleeved on said tube unit.
 4. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said supporting unit of said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of securing members sewn on lateral ends of said at least one side member and having a looped end that is sleeved on said tube unit.
 5. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said securing members is a fabric member.
 6. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said supporting unit of said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of fastening mechanisms for securing distal end portions of said securing members to said at least one side member.
 7. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said fastening mechanisms is configured as a snap button mechanism.
 8. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein: said bed surrounding unit includes a plurality of said side members; and said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of reticular members, each of which extends from said bot tom member and interconnecting an adjacent pair of said side members.
 9. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bed surrounding unit further includes a pair of support tubes secured at a bottom surface of said bottom member.
 10. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of connecting units, each of which has an end connected to said bed surrounding unit and an opposite end adapted to be coupled detachably to the play yard.
 11. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said connecting units includes a fabric member connected to a periphery of said bottom member, and a rigid clip connected to a distal end of said fabric member and adapted to be coupled detachably to the play yard.
 12. A play yard comprising four upright rods, four corner couplers provided respective ly on top ends of the upright rods, four side rods each interconnecting an adjacent pair of the corner couplers, and an infant bassinet assembly including: a loop-shaped tube unit that is coupled detachably to a top end of said play yard; and a bed surrounding unit that includes a bottom member, a supporting unit having a bottom end portion that is connected to said bottom member and that cooperates with said bottom member to define an inner space, and a top end portion that is connected to said tube unit, and a plurality of connecting units, each of which has an end connected to a periphery of said bottom member and an opposite end coupled detachably to a respective one of said corner couplers.
 13. The play yard as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tube unit includes a plurality of tubes forming cooperatively the loop-shaped configuration of said tube unit.
 14. The play yard as claimed in claim 12, wherein said supporting unit of said bed surrounding unit includes at least one side member extending from a periphery of said bottom member and having a looped end portion that is sleeved on said tube unit.
 15. The play yard as claimed in claim 14, wherein said supporting unit of said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of securing members sewn on lateral ends of said at least one side member and having a looped end that is sleeved on said tube unit.
 16. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said securing members is a fabric member.
 17. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said supporting unit of said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of fastening mechanisms for securing distal end portions of said securing members to said at least one side member.
 18. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of said fastening mechanisms is configured as a snap button mechanism.
 19. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein: said bed surrounding unit includes a plurality of said side members; and said bed surrounding unit further includes a plurality of reticular members, each of which extends from said bottom member and interconnecting an adjacent pair of said side members.
 20. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said bed surrounding unit further includes a pair of support tubes secured at a bottom surface of said bottom member.
 21. The infant bassinet assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of said connecting units includes a fabric member connected to a periphery of said bottom member, and a rigid clip connected to a distal end of said fabric member and coupled detachably to the respective one of said corner couplers.
 22. The play yard as claimed in claim 21, wherein said rigid clip of each of said connecting units has a hooked end portion for engaging detachably the respective one of said corner couplers. 